Montpelier – The Vermont State Colleges System (VSCS) has adopted a new “Welcome Home” tuition policy making it easier for former Vermonters to return to the State and immediately qualify for in-state tuition at a college or university within the System.

Under the new policy, adopted by the VSCS Board of Trustees on Saturday, any Vermonter who was a resident of the state, or whose parents or guardians were residents of the state, when they earned a high school diploma or equivalent certification, will be eligible for in-state tuition rates upon their return. Currently, only those Vermonters who have returned and lived in the state for at least one year are eligible for the lower, in-state rates. The new policy is effective for the fall semester and applies to all Vermont students who earned their high school diploma after January 1, 2015 and are now residing in Vermont.

“We hope our Welcome Home tuition policy, lowering the cost of attending our colleges and universities, will tip the balance when former Vermonters are making a decision whether or not to return to Vermont,” explained VSCS Chancellor Jeb Spaulding.

Spaulding, along with VSCS Board Chair Churchill Hindes and other trustees, announced the new policy today with Governor Phil Scott at his weekly press conference in the Statehouse. The “Welcome Home” tuition supports Governor Scott’s priority to encourage Vermonters to return to the state to address workforce challenges and to participate in our communities.

“Expanding our workforce is a priority for my Administration, and essential in our efforts to grow the economy, make Vermont more affordable and protect the most vulnerable. This work requires out-side-the-box thinking and collaboration across public and private partners,” said Governor Scott. “The ‘Welcome Home’ initiative is exactly the kind of thing we need to attract former students back to the state, and a great example of a creative approach to achieving our education and workforce goals.”

The new tuition policy, passed by unanimous vote at the Board’s March 24 meeting, applies to the four member institutions of the VSCS: Community College of Vermont, Castleton University, Northern Vermont University (both Johnson and Lyndon campuses) and Vermont Technical College.

For information about eligibility, please consult VSCS Policy 301, or contact the admissions office of any VSCS college or university.